MEASURE B passed 88% in favor!

Vote YES on Measure B  - on the March 5th 2024 Primary Election Ballot- MAIL IN BALLOT, drop off at election office on Tower road.

Every 4 years CSA1 residents have elected to continue the special parcel tax for Extended emergency service levels in our area. 

Vote YES on Measure B - Primary election Ballot

 Enhanced Fire, Sheriff and Emergency Services

This enhanced service covers, San Mateo Highlands, Baywood Park, Baywood Plaza, San Mateo Oaks, and Polhemus Heights.

Mail in ballots for Measure B are due March 5th, 2024 and should arrive at your house in February, contact SM County elections office if you have not received one. 

Save Local Enhanced Fire, Sheriff and Emergency Services

If you receive this flyer and the ballot by mail to vote, then you live in CSA1, and it is your local emergency services that are at risk. The communities of San Mateo Highlands, Baywood Park, Baywood Plaza, San Mateo Oaks, and Polhemus Heights, including areas east and west of Polhemus Rd. receive enhanced emergency services through this parcel tax, to maintain the quickest response time for this area. It is in our communities best interest to continue our CSA1 Special Parcel tax to fund Enhanced Fire and Sheriff services to maintain short response times and services specific to the area.

This is not a new tax, but a simple tax renewal initiated and continued by local taxpayers. 

This Special Parcel Tax provides CSA1 neighborhood oversight, which has saved specific CSA1 services that would have been lost and are vulnerable without this measure. This tax gives the neighborhoods a voice in operations and future planning to maintain the excellent response time for fire, EMT and police at the Paul Scannell Dr fire station along with community engagement.  Without the tax the county can and previously tried to make decisions counter to the best interests of the neighborhoods.

As wildfires and other costly disasters become more frequent, residents want to continue the quantity and quality of emergency services in CSA1 through this tax renewal.

Current services provide: a 24/7 fire engine and nearby fire station #17 in our neighborhood on Paul Scannell Dr., staffed by 3 CalFire firefighters, including a paramedic, and dedicated Sheriff Deputy patrol 18hrs a day/7days a week.

CSA1 purchases a fire engine and staffing to assure the quickest response times possible for CSA1 neighborhoods. Since 1982, this longstanding tax has been repeatedly renewed at $65 per year, per parcel to fund CSA1 area specific Enhanced Fire, Sheriff and emergency medical response services first established in 1955.

If we let this tax and service level agreement expire, we may never receive the enhanced level of services we currently enjoy. Please mail in your ballot by March 5th!

Keep our neighborhood voice on local emergency services! Vote YES on Measure B today.

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Background information on the continuation of the CSA1 Parcel Tax:

In 1957, County Service Area 1 (CSA1) was established to provide Enhanced fire service for the neighborhoods in the unincorporated area, including Highlands, Baywood Park, Baywood Plaza, San Mateo Oaks, Polhemus Heights and Hillside Gardens. When the district was created, a share of the CSA1 resident’s property taxes was dedicated to paying for Enhanced fire service which was provided by CalFire. In 1966, extra patrols by the County Sheriff were requested by the community and paid through the CSA1 property tax allocation.CSA1 neighborhoods have fought long and hard to maintain our service levels. The reason we still have fire station #17 and engine is because neighbors have fought to keep it. We taxed ourselves to provide added high level services that our unique high fire risk area requires.

The current assessment of $65 a year, per house, for these enhanced services has been consistently renewed by the voters every four years. To continue this important agreement of enhanced services for our area, 2/3 of voters must vote yes to continue the assessment. CalFire and Sheriff are supportive of our enhanced services.

CSA1 leaders unanimously support this assessment.

Liesje Nicolas, Highlands Community Association, President

Dylan Ashbrook, Highlands Community Association, Vice President

Rick Priola, Highlands Community Association

Jerry Ozanne, Baywood Park, President

Laurel Nagle, Baywood Park, President

Alan Palter, Baywood Plaza

Chip Hennen, Baywood Plaza

Clem Esmail, San Mateo Oaks

Kim Ricket, San Mateo Oaks

Suzanne Kennedy, San Mateo Oaks

Thomas Frankel, Hillside Garden

Gary Trott, Parrott Drive Baywood Park Committee

Shlomit Holtzman, Parrott Drive Baywood Park Committee

Raphael Holzman, Parrott Drive Baywood Park Committee

Tania Leung, Parrott Drive Baywood Park Committee

Christian Sarmiento, Parrott Drive Baywood Park Committee

Questions? 650-773-7805 or HighlandsCAPresident@gmail.com

Map of CSA1:   20231107_att_Exhibit A Map of CSA1.pdf

Measure B 

Special Tax for Extended Police and Fire Protection Services. Shall the measure set forth in Resolution No. 080010 of the County of San Mateo continuing the levy of a special tax for four years at a maximum rate of $65 per parcel, raising up to approximately $90,000 per year, for extended police and structural fire protection services in County Service Area No. 1 be adopted?  YES!

Argument in Favor of Measure B

CSA-1 residents are encouraged to vote YES on Measure B to continue to fund our enhanced police and fire protection for another four years.

Community Service Area 1 (CSA-1) was established in 1955
to provide enhanced fire service for the San Mateo Highlands, Baywood Park, Baywood Plaza, San Mateo Oaks, Polhemus Heights, Hillside Garden and other neighborhoods in the unincorporated area to the east and west of Polhemus Road. When the district was created, a share of the CSA-1 residents’ property taxes was dedicated to fund superior enhanced fire service which was provided by CalFire. In 1966, extra patrols by the County Sheriff were requested by the community and funded through the CSA-1 property tax allocation.

Today, CSA-1 pays for a 24/7 fire engine located at Fire Station #17, on Paul Scannell Drive. CalFire staffs the engine with
a minimum of three firefighters, at least one of which is a Paramedic. CSA-1 also pays for dedicated patrol service by a Deputy Sheriff, 7 days a week, 18 hours a day.

CSA-1 residents have consistently renewed this recurring $65 parcel tax since 1982 to fund our enhanced police and fire services. Our distinctive topographical features, including high- fire risk zones and steep hillsides adjacent to open spaces, require enhanced preparedness and quick response capabilities. The revenue from this special parcel tax will support the heightened level of emergency services that our unique area demands.

The current parcel tax expires on June 30, 2024. Measure B extends the $65 CSA-1 parcel tax another four years. To pass, the measure must be supported by 2/3 of the voters in CSA-1.

We encourage all CSA-1 residents to vote YES on Measure B to continue to fully fund our enhanced police and fire protection for another four years.

Vote Yes on Measure B.

/s/ Liesje Nicolas. December 10, 2023. Highlands Community Association, President

/s/ Dylan Ashbrook December 10, 2023 Highlands Community Association, Vice President

/s/ Rick Priola December 10, 2023 Highlands Community Association, 2nd Vice President

/s/ Alan Palter December 10, 2023 Resident of Baywood Plaza Neighborhood Association

/s/ Laurel Nagle  December 10, 2023 President, Baywood Park H.O.A.

No Argument Against Measure B Submitted

Impartial Analysis of Measure B

On November 7, 2023, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to renew the levy of a special tax on property located in County Service Area No. 1 (“Service Area”), which, if approved, would raise up to approximately $90,000 annually for extended police and fire protection services. Under Government Code Section 50075, a ballot measure for approval of the special tax must be submitted to the voters of the Service Area.

A special tax for police and fire protection services
in the Service Area has been levied since 1982, and was most recently renewed by voters in 2020. The Board of Supervisors determines the specific amount of the tax each year, with a maximum rate of $65 per year per parcel. The special tax is currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 2024.

If this Measure is approved by the voters of the Service Area, the special tax would continue to be levied for an additional period of four (4) years, commencing July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2028. The Board of Supervisors would continue to set the specific amount of the special tax each year, with a maximum rate of $65 per year per parcel, after a noticed public hearing.
The special tax would be collected by the San Mateo County
tax collection officials at the same time as, and along with,
the general ad valorem taxes. It would be subject to the same penalties as the general ad valorem tax, and the special tax and penalty will bear interest at the same rate as the rate for unpaid ad valorem property taxes until paid.

The proceeds of the special tax may only be spent on extended police and structural fire protection services in the Service Area, and for no other purposes. The proceeds from the tax must be deposited into a special account and an annual report will be prepared describing the amounts collected and expended.

A “yes” vote on this Measure would allow the continuation of a special tax to be levied on property within the boundaries of the Service Area for extended police and fire protection services at a rate no greater than $65 per parcel per year for an additional four (4) years, from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2028.

A “no” vote on this Measure would not allow the special tax to be levied, with the current tax supporting extended police and fire protection services in the Service Area ending June 30, 2024.

This Measure passes if two-thirds of those voting on it vote “yes.”

The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure B. If you desire a copy of the measure, please call the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division at 650.312.5222 and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.

Every 4 years CSA1 residents have elected to continue the special parcel tax for Extended emergency service levels. 

2024 Measure B DOCUMENTS links:

https://smcacre.gov/elections/march-5-2024-presidential-primary-election

Csa1 BOS meeting recording:

https://sanmateocounty.granicus.com/player/clip/1317?view_id=1&meta_id=353914&redirect=true&h=c8d1cdd57f8223a87391a3a66c760c60

Documents:

https://sanmateocounty.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6399402&GUID=EECEC341-3B90-4F2F-AB27-077557A9D07B

PREVIOUS YEARS' DOCUMENTS 2020, 2016

Here is link to March 24th Board of Supervisors agenda and meeting docs, meeting MEMO:
 https://sanmateocounty.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4400060&GUID=1C2A0760-1265-4B01-82F4-735177336C6A&Options=&Search=  

2016 was our last renewal of our tax. Here are those documents for your reference:

CSA1 parcel tax renewal 2016 Ballot booklet (7).pdf

2016 CSA1 Extended Service Resolution (1) (1) (4).pdf

Resolutions 074361_074362_Service Area 1 - Tax for Police and Fire (2).pdf

Here's what the 2020 should look like- with edits:

FINAL Board Memo -20-138 - with amendment.pdf

FINAL 20200324_r_CSA Parcel Tax - Adopting the Special Tax.pdf

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